Two men to be ordained transitional deacons for archdiocese

Two men will take their first step into ordained ministry as they become transitional deacons for the Archdiocese of Omaha.

Brett Jamrog of St. Patrick Parish in Fremont and Minh Tran, originally from Vietnam and now a member of St. Columbkille Parish in Papillion, will be ordained by Archbishop George J. Lucas May 28 at St. Cecilia Cathedral in Omaha.

This summer they will have assignments in parishes in the archdiocese; then, upon completion of their final year of formation, they will be ordained to the priesthood in June 2022, said Father Andrew Roza, director of vocations for the archdiocese.

“Brett Jamrog brings a great energy and a real capacity to work with and love people,” he said. “He has good, natural leadership skills, and I think, whatever parish he finds himself in will find him to be a delightful presence. He really wants to see everyone come to know and love Jesus.”

“Minh Tran brings with him a great history,” Father Roza said. “As someone who grew up in Vietnam, he brings a different perspective and a different cultural background that I think will be very rich.”

“He has also worked very hard to not just improve his English, but also his Spanish, so he can fully serve the Vietnamese, Anglo and Hispanic communities within the archdiocese.”

Both men have done well during their time in seminary, Father Roza said. “They have been very open to formation and, I think, will continue to grow and develop tremendously as they enter into Holy Orders for the diaconate.”

As transitional deacons, Jamrog and Tran will proclaim the Gospel and preach at Masses, distribute Holy Communion, and preside at baptisms and wake services, along with other parish duties.

Personal profiles of each man are below.

BRETT JAMROG

Background: Home parish, St. Patrick, Fremont. Parents Jeff and Connie Jamrog; sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth and Mike Thielen, Omaha; brother, Jared Jamrog, Omaha.

Education: University of Nebraska-Lincoln; St. Gregory the Great Seminary, Seward, Nebraska; Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St. Louis.

Activities/Ministries: Religious education and youth group, St. Andrew Parish, Tecumseh, Nebraska; prayer ministry, Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital, Lincoln; youth group, Immaculate Conception Parish, Dardenne Prairie, Missouri; communion calls, Holy Spirit Parish, Maryland Heights, Missouri; religious education teacher, Annunziata Parish, St. Louis. Pastoral year at St. Cecilia Parish, Omaha, including teaching in parish school, helping with the faith formation group, helping lead a Bible study for young adult group, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) instructor, 7th and 8th grade boys basketball coach, social media administrator, and emcee for Archbishop George J. Lucas.

Summer assignments: Totus Tuus; Institute for Priestly Formation, Omaha; Spanish immersion, Guatemala; St. Patrick Parish, Fremont.

Reflections on ordination: “My expectations are to be able to use my gifts of preaching to proclaim God’s word to his people. Also, I expect to use my knowledge of Spanish to relate and minister to the Latino population. Through being a deacon at Mass, I hope to gain a deeper understanding and love for the Eucharist. What it means to me to be a deacon is to give myself more fully to the Church in imitation of Christ the Servant. Ultimately, I am being ordained to serve the people of God in order to build up the body of Christ. As I give of myself to the people of God as a deacon, I hope to receive a greater awareness of God’s love for me through the individuals I encounter and minister to.”

MINH TRAN

Background: Born in Vietnam. Home parish, St. Columbkille, Papillion. Parents, Tran Van Tu and Nguyen Thi Thin; siblings, Tran Le Thu Khoa, Tran Le Phuong Thao, Tran Le Phuong Thuy, Tran Le Minh Quan and Tran Le Hoang Quynh, all Vietnam, and Tran Le Phuong Tram, Houston; uncle and aunt, Luong and Chau Pham, Papillion.

Education: College of Technical Industrial Economics, Vietnam; Institutum Sapientiae-Ordinis Canonicorum Regularium Sanctae Crucis, Brazil; Assumption Seminary, San Antonio, Texas.

Activities/Ministries: St. Columbkille Parish, Papillion; pastoral year at St. Thomas More Parish, Omaha; pastoral care at Morningside at the Meadows Assisted Living, San Antonio; youth faith formation at San Fernando Cathedral, San Antonio; RCIA at Vietnamese Martyrs Parish, San Antonio; pastoral year at St. Ann Catholic Church, San Antonio.

Summer assignments: Institute for Priestly Formation, Omaha; St. Bernadette Parish, Bellevue; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Omaha.

Reflections on ordination: “As a transitional deacon, I give thanks to God because he has called me and made me an instrument of evangelization through the ministry of service. As a servant, I care for the vulnerable and have compassion for God’s people. I would like to use God’s gifts that he bestows on me to serve my congregation. With the help of the pastor, I will serve by unconditional love for those in need and in ministries where I live. This is because I have dedicated my life to draw people closer to God and help them recognize His love through the liturgy, Word, and charity. I am still learning and desire to become a humble servant of God. With God’s grace, I totally give of myself to further mature my vocation to take another step into priesthood.”